Tire building machine



Aug. 21, 1951 c. FRAZIER TIRE BUILDING MACHINE 14 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 28, 1949 IN V EN TOR. LARRY 0. FRAZ/ER Y A TTORNEYS 1951 L. c. FRAZIER 2,565,071

TIRE BUILDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 28, 1949 14 Sheets-Sheet 2 1: 93 I 92 I I 98 8'1 5 6 NO M INVENTOR.

LARRY 0. FRAZ/Ef? ATTORNEYS 1951 L. c. FRAZIER 2,565,071

TIRE BUILDING MACHINE I 14 Sheets-Sheet: 5

Filed Oct. 28, 194% IN VEN TOR.

Nam wow w mom SN LARRY 6'. FRAZ/ER wfi A TTORNEY$ M St ' 1951 L. c. FRAZIER 2,565,071

TIRE BUILDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 28, 1949 14 Sheets-Sheet 4 A TTOR/VEYS L. c. FRAZIER THE BUILDING MACHINE Aug. 21, 1951 14 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 28, 1949 22% Y v arromvsrs Mmi Aug. 21, 1951 L. c. FRAZlER 2,565,071

' TIRE BUILDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 28, 1949 14 Sheets-Sheet e INVENTOR. LARRY 0. FRAZ/ER A T TOR/V578 Aug. 21, 1951 c. FRAZIER TIRE BUILDING MACHINE l4 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed 001;. 28, 1949 LARRY a. FRAZ/El? in W ATTORNEYS Aug. 21, 1951 c. FRAZIER 2,555,071

'1 TIRE BUILDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 28, 1949 14 Sheets-Sheet s IN V EN TOR.

L ARE) 6. FRAZ/Ef? 4 TTOR/VEYS Aug. 21, 1951 c. FRAZIER 2,565,071

' TIRE BUILDING MACHINE 14 SheetsSheet(9 Filed Oct. 28, 1949 IN VEN TOR. LARRY 6. FRAZ/El? A T TORNEYS Aug. 21, 1 951 L. c. FRAZIER 2,565,071

TIRE BUILDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 28, 1949 14 Sheets-Sheet 1 l l l.

FIG. 20

INVEN TOR. LARRY 0. FRAZ/ER 4 TTOR/VEYS Aug. 21, 1951 1.. c. FRAZIER TIRE BUILDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 28, 1949 INVENTOR. LARRY G. FRAZ/ER ATTORNEYS Aug. 21, 1951 c. FRAZIER TIRE BUILDING MACHINE Filed Oct. 28, 1949 Y 14 Sheets-Shget 12 222 m m m H6124 I l l l \1 70 no I /6 IN V EN TOR. LARRY 0. FRAZ/ER A TTORNEYS Aug. 21, 1951 c. FRAZIER TIRE BUILDING MACHINE 14 Sheets-Sheet 15 Filed Oct. 28, 1949 IN VEN TOR.

LARRY 0. FRAZ/ER ATTORNEYS c. FRAZIER 2,565,071

TIRE BUILDING MACHINE 14' Sheets-Sheet 14 Aug. 21, 1951 Filed 001;. 28, I949 mm at v Bet .mw v

Patented Aug. 21 195i STATES ATENT OFFICE 2,565,671 TIRE BUILDING MACHINE Larry C; Frazier, Niles, Mich., assigno'r to Na tional-Standard Company, Niles, Mich, a corporation of Michigan Application oetobei 2s, 1949, Serial No. 124,225

UNITED 34 Claims.

1' I The present invention relates specifically to the art of tire building and the purpose is to devise a, new and improved machine for building tires on flat or substantially flat drums. In many redrums, orig bf which'may be carried by the tails'tock On the surfaces'of the drum are located longexpansible, flat tubes or bags made of rubber orsimilar material. Atthe commencement of the spects' the procedure is similar to that shown in 5 operation" the main o'r central drum is collapsed applicant/s prior Patent No. 2,440,662 of April 27, to its smallest di'a'meter, atwhich time the outer 1948. The present invention has for its object surfacesoi the bags,which lie flatontheir respecthe designing of a machine which will be subtive drums, coincide with the outer surface of the stantially automatic in its operations so that, central drum. In this position a ply of tireeXcept for the application of the ply or plies of building fabric is wrapped about the drum, the tire fabric to the drum and the application of the fabric "being of sufii'cient width 50 that its two beads. theope'ration of building the tire carcass edges overlap the'collapsed bags. The amount to will be initiated by the pressing of a button and which the plies extend over the'bags is determined the machine will go through its various steps with by the desired breadth that the edges of the plies out any further hand operations until the carcass 5 will overlap at the tread portion of the carcass, is completely formed. as will bee'xpl'ained later.

Thereafter, if it be desired, the tread may be The fabric employed is of any of the usual types placed over the completed carcass and automatemployed in t b d f carcasses nd is ically pressed or stitched down to the carcass. usually a strip of bias-cut, rubberized cord tire The objects of the invention are to improve fabric. When the ply'is wrapped about the drum upon the mechanism shown in my former patent theends of the ply will meet with a sufiicient so that a complete tire may be made with a overlap to make'a secure band and are stitched minimum of labor, in much less time than is postogether. V p V I sible with previous tire building machines. The Forthe application of the ply to the drum, any tire is well made and there are none of the fussy of the well known methods or machines may be and time consuming hand operations which are employed, but it is preferred to use an applicator characteristic of other forms of tire building maof a special type which is the joint invention of chines. this applicant and Florian J. Shook, application GENERAL DESCRIPTION for atent onwhich is Serial No. 128,186, filed The machine i t i expansiple f gpifat fs shown 1h its relation to the and collapsible mam tire building drum on which b t th 1 bhnt f the several operations of building the tire are 9P .mgl f .q ft? 6 SJ O the sald copendlng ppl1cat1on, it is not full deperformed. Wh1le the drum is stationary durmg scribed nor is it Claimed. herein the tire building operations, it may be rotated r t Affi 1 l'.'.ra.-.d. abbut th dr P d sufficiently so as to stagger the area at which the xt 6 y ls W e u an splice in the fabric occurs with the area of the! p b a b 1mm. 13 P v ex t f i splice in the tread. The drum may be flat or l ij'hereolfform shoulders W arched as desired the tire beads are placed. These beads are in the To permit the placement of the beads, to be deis lelr tm m QPWaimP h W 3 reinfqrce' scribed, and the removal of the finished tire, one 40 F.- l t h sldeilreskand are side of the machine is provided with a shiftable pp q. h .t r f fl PW s j are tail stock and this tail stock preferably carries ete l. ?d Plewg K 5 Wmch are {ocated one of the auxiliary drums to be described later. at ether u u l ry drums Wand Mechanism is provided to swin the tail-stock the n e a e -Aft h P 1S glven the into and out of alignment with the main tire m r brpa a ex o the bead rings building drum and also to move it axially toward are mqv dasa nst he. o d the beads and away from the drum. The tire building drum asihe eq F9 the u fi zfid s r of the p yand the other auxiliary drum are carried on a fixed Thebead p'lacingrings are then withdrawn. The stanchion on the other sideof the machine. heads are placed in therings before the ply is ap- The main drum is flanked by the two auxiliary plied to the drum andwhile the tail-stock is out of alignment with the drum, as has been described.

The main drum is then expanded to its outer limit, which draws the fabric tightly about the underside and inside of the beads. This operation is advisable to secure close adhesion of the fabric in the area of the beads. The expansion of the main drum is done by a hand lever at one side of the machine.

At one side of the machine, illustrated as the right hand side as the operator faces the machine, is a large hollow cylinder or cage which has a substantially greater inner diameter than the drum assembly. This cage telescopes over the drum, stopping at various points thereon, so that, in conjunction with the inflation and deflation of the bags and the movements of the cage, the fabric is folded over the beads from opposite sides overlapping at the center. In the operation of the perfected machine, which is shown and described herein, the movement of the cage is initated by pressing a button and the successive steps, together with the inflation and deflation of the bags, proceed entirely automatically.

In the sequence of steps the cage, starting from the right, moves over and in telescopic relation to the right hand auxiliary drum. The bag on that drum is now inflated, lifting the exposed side of the ply against the inner surface of the drum and holding it in contact therewith with considerable pressure which should be adequate to perform the subsequent operations. When the pressure in the bag has reached the desired point, inflation stops and the cage moves over the main tire building drum. This action serves to turn the bag progressively over the main or tire-building drum and this action will also turn the fabric and fold the edge of'the fabric around the bead and, as the movement of the cage continues, the ply is pressed against the outer surface of the central area of the ply on the main tire building drum. The pull of the fabric as it progressively folds over the bead tightly wraps the fabric about the bead and presses it smoothly and with great force against the underlying portion of the fabric. The progressive movement removes all air which might be entrapped between the plies, thus eliminating air bubbles. This is a great improvement over older methods employed for stitching fabric plies and eliminates the operation of pricking the fabric to permit the escape of entrapped air or removing any wrinkles, which are incidents of older practices of tire building.

The cage stops when the first folding operation is completed and the pressure in the bag is automatically released. The tension in the bag, as soon as the pressure is released, causes the bag to fiy back to its original position.

The cage now moves over the other or left hand auxiliary drum and stops. That bag is now inflated and the cage then returns to its position over the main drum, which folds that edge of the fabric around its bead and over the previously folded fabric. The pressure in the left hand bag is now released and it returns to its original position. The cage now returns to its original position at the extreme right of the machine and the carcass is completed.

While the described operations may be speeded up as much as may be practical, in normal operation and giving the machine ample time to perform all of its operations perfectly, the entire elapsed time from the moment that the cage leaves its original position to the time that it returns to that position, during which interval the carcass building operation is completed, is about 30 seconds. This is not only infinitely faster than any previously known tire building operation but, in addition, makes a better carcass.

If desired the carcass may be removed at this time by shifting the tail stock and collapsing the drum, whereupon the carcass is removed over the exposed side of the main drum.

However, the tread may be applied, preferably by using the applicator, and then stitched in place on the carcass. The operation is the same and performed in the same sequence, the only diiference being that no fabric is present. The collapsible bags, as they move over the tread, exert a powerful pressure on the tread, removing any air pocketed between the tread and the carcass and pressing the tread firmly on to the carcass. The finished tire, with the tread, is then removed from the drum and is ready for the usual bagging and vulcanizing steps.

THE DRAWINGS In the drawings and the accompanying description, the best known and preferred embodiment of the invention is shown. The machine illustrated and described has been demonstrated sufficiently to establish its complete practicability. While the machine and the steps thereby are described in sufficient detail so that the principles thereof and the operation may be understood, the invention may be modified, altered or improved without departing from the invention as it is set forth in the appended claims.

The movements of the cage are controlled by an electrical system which is in turn responsive at certain times to the pressures within the expansible bags. In the drawings will be found an abbreviated wiring diagram of the control system, but the devising of equivalent electrical or electro-mechanical systems to accomplish the objects of the invention is within the knowledge and skill of one versed in such matters.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the complete machine taken from the position in which the operator stands. This view shows one position of an applicator which is convenient to the operator. In this view the central or main tire building drum is shown in full lines in its fully collapsed condition and the cage to the extreme right.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing the control unit for arresting the carriage at its extreme right position.

Fig. 2a is an enlarged, front View of one of the several limit switches.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section through the cage and its carriage on the line 44 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through the cage on the line 55 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is an enlarged section through a beadsetting ring on the line 'l! of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a vertical section on the line 88 of Fig. 1 showing the applicator in position to apply the ply on the drum.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged longitudinal section through the central or main tire building drum showing the drum in the condition Where the ply is wrapped about it.

Fig. 9a is a section on the line 9a-9a of Fig. 9.

Fig. 10 is a detail showing the means by which the drum may be lengthened for tires of differing cross sections.

Fig. 11 is a section through one of the auxiliary drums on the line Il--II of Fig. 9.

Fig. 12 is a section on the line I2I2 of Fig. 9.

Fig. 13 is a vertical longitudinal section through the machine at the tail-stock.

Fig. 14 is a sectional view looking down at the tail-stock operating mechanism, the location of the view being shown by the section line I4I 4 of Fig. 17.

Fig. 15 is a detail section on the line I5I5 of Fig. 1'7.

Fig. 16 is a section on the line I 6I% of Fig. 15.

Fig. 1'7 is a vertical section through the left hand end of the machine on the line I'i-I'I of Fig. 1.

Fig. 17a is a view showing the position of certain elements when the tail-stock is tilted backwardly.

Fig. 18 is a view showing the ply of fabric wrapped about the drum.

Fig. 19 is a view showing the operation of setting the beads.

Fig. 20 is a view showing the final expansion of the tire building drum.

Fig. 21 is a section showing the inflation of the tube or bag in readiness for the first folding operation.

Fig. 22 shows the cage moved to its second position, the first folding operation being completed.

Figs. 23 and 24 are the same as Figs. 21 and 22 but showing the second folding operation.

Fig. 25 is a view showing the tread in place.

Fig. 26 is a view showing the first operation of pressing the tread onto the carcass, the second operation being the same except in the opposite direction.

Fig. 2'7 is a view of the complete, uncured tire band ready for the shaping andvulcanizing operations.

Fig. 28 is a section thereof on the line 2828 of Fig. 27.

Fig. 29 is a diagrammatic view of the wiring of an electrical system which may be employed to control the movements of the cage.

Fig. 30 is a view diagrammatically showing the switches, preferably mercury switches, which control the movement of the carriage when air pressure in bags is proper.

Fig. 31 is a view showing diagrammatically the control valves for the two pressure bags or tubes.

The tire which is made by this machine is composed of a fabric layer F. This may be a single ply or multiple ply of bias cut cord fabric or other tire building "material, the cords in the individual plies in a multiple layer running in opposite diagonal directions. When the fabric ply is wrapped about the drum, the ends thereof will be spliced as at S, if a single ply is employed. If the ply is double the usual fish tail splice may be used. The two beads B are of the usual ring form and are composed of wire reinforcement embedded in a rubber matrix as is common practice. Around the beads are the customary flipper strips C.

When the ply or plies are folded about the drum, they will overlap to any extent desired, as shown at O, and thus reinforce the tire under the tread. This is a recognized tire design. If desired, the plies may overlap up to the bead lines on both sides thereof.

corporate the breaker strip. The sidewalls W may be integral with the tread or they may be of a different stock joined to the edges of the tread. The ends of the tread strip are skived to make the overlap as shown at X in Fig. 28.

To overcome any objections of fabric splices coinciding, it is within the scope of this invention to provide for rotating the drum to a sufficient angular extent to avoid superposing splices. However, during the automatic fabric turnover and stitching operations the drum is stationary.

THE MACHINE FRAME At one end of the machine, here shown at the right hand side thereof, is the stationary, vertical stanchion or pedestal I, which is preferably composed of a rear, vertical plate 2 and a front plate 3 welded to a base 4. Side plates 5 complete the stanchion and in the upper part of the stanchion is the tubular housing 6 welded to the plates I and 2.

At the opposite end of the machine is located a shorter stanchion or pedestal 8, on the top of which is mounted the rocking and longitudinally movable tail-stock Ii) which will be more fully described. Across the front of the machine and welded to the stanchions I and 8 is the heavy channel I2, to the upper surface of which is secured the long rail I4. The cage supporting carriage, indicated as a whole by the numeral I I, moves over the rail I4. This channel I2 also serves as a support for the stop switches which arrest the carriage at the various points in its travel, as will be described. Across the rear of the machine and supported in both stanchions is the horizontal shaft I5 which, in conjunction with the rail I4, forms the track or guideway for the carriage I I. This shaft also forms the pivot for the tail-stock I0.

On the stanchion l is mounted the reversible motor I6 with integral brake 252 (see Fig. 29) which, through the worm gear drive I8, actuates the chain 28 to the upper run of which the carriage I I is attached. The motor drives the chain 20 to and fro through a shorter chain 22 which passes around a sprocket 23 on a countershaft 25 mounted in the stanchion I. On the shaft is also a sprocket 26 over which the chain 20 travels, the other side of the chain being carried on a sprocket 28 mounted in a clevis 30 located in the rear wall of the stanchion 8 and adjustable by the bolt 3! to take up any slack in the chain.

The applicator to which reference has been made is indicated as a whole by the numeral 34. It is mounted on a pedestal 35, preferably located near the right hand end of the machine. It is supported on an angular swinging arm 36 so that when out of use it is moved to the position shown in Fig. 1. When in use it is located beneath the central part of the tire building drum, as shown in Fig. 8, and between the drum and the chain '20. In this position it may rest upon the shaft I 5. The upper surface of the applicator is composed of a belt 38, the ends of which are anchored to the main frame of the applicator. On the applicator are two swinging arms 39, the outer :ends of which carry rollers 40, which, when the arms are lowered, hold the top surface of the belt in a horizontal plane.

When the arms 39 are raised to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 8, the fabric or the tread, as the case may be, is wrapped about the drum,

The tread T is in the usual form and may in: {:6 sufficient space being provided between the rollers 46 when the arms are raised to permit the necessary splices to be made.

The operator will place the ply or tread, cut to the proper length, on the belt 38 when the applicator is in the position shown in Fig. l and, when the ply or tread is to be applied, he swings the applicator to the position shown in Fig. 8. He then moves the control lever 42, opening a valve 43, which through piped connections raises the arms. The connections and mechanism for actuating the applicator are not shown as the applicator is another invention and is shown only for the purpose of completing the description necessary to an understanding of the present invention. The ply Or tread having'been spliced, the valve 49 is reversed, the arms 39 are lowered, and the applicator is returned to the position shown in Fig. 1. In building a two-ply tire, the operator has a suflicient time interval while the machine is operating to lay the stock on the belt 39 for the succeeding operations.

THE TIRE BUILDING DRUM The tire building drum is made of three sections in alignment across the machine and between the stanchions. The central section is the main tire building section for on it the operations of combining the various elements of the tire are performed. It is flanked on the right, as shown herein, by the stationary auxiliary drum and on the left by the shiftable auxiliary drum. The main drum is indicated as a whole by the numeral 55, the stationary auxiliary drum by the numeral 95, and the shiftable auxiliary drum by the numeral All.

(a) The central drum The outer periphery of this drum is made of a plurality of arc-shaped sections or shoes which are movable toward and from the axis of the drum to vary the circumference thereof. Through the walls 2 and 9 of the stanchion l at the housing 6 is passed a long, heavy, hollow shaft or sleeve 59 mounted at its outer end in a bearing in the wall 2. At the wall 3 it passes through a reinforcing plate 52 to which is welded and bolted a long, conical, reinforcing spider 54 which extends to the right hand side of the drum 48. This spider is of sufficient length and rigidity to support the load on the outer end of the sleeve 50 and over this spider the cage is received when in its idle position. The sleeve 50 extends to a point near the right hand side of the main drum 45. Over the end of the sleeve 50 is an outer sleeve 59 which extends beyond the sleeve 50 and constitutes the core or central shaft of the main drum. A collar 59 is secured to the interior of the sleeve 58 at a midway point by bolts 51 and between the collar and end of the sleeve 50 is a ball bearing cage 60 which facilitates the rotation of the drum for the reasons stated. A set screw 62 may be inserted as shown to hold the sleeves 59 and 58 from rotation if desired. In the extreme inner end of the sleeve 58 is set a ring 83, the outer surface of which is conically recessed to serve as a register for the auxiliary drum 41.

The central portion of sleeve 58 is enlarged to provide oppositely facing shoulders 64. Against the right hand shoulder is placed a disk or plate 65, the inner edge of which is flanged and held in position by the bolts 51. A second plate 66 is set against the left hand shoulder 64 and may be welded in place thereon.

From the outer edges of the plates 65 and 66 extend a plurality of radial slots 68 equal to the number of shoes or sections 10 which consti tute the outer working surface of the drum. The outer surfaces of the shoes are shown as parallel to the axis of the drum but they may be tapered at the ends to accommodate additional thicknesses of bead flipper and chafer strips. The outer surface of each shoe is circumferentially arc-shaped and along the inner surface is a rib "H which extends the length of the central drum and is received in registering slots 68 in the end plates. Each rib H is set in a fork on the outer end of a radial pin 12 and secured by transverse bolts 13. The shoes are simultaneously moved inwardly or outwardly by the pins 12 to vary the effective circumference of the drum. In each end of a rib H there is cut a pocket or socket l4 and in each series of pockets, on either end of the drum, is received a contractible spring ring, shown herein as an endless coil spring 15 which serves to draw the several shoes 79 inwardly.

Each pin 12 passes through a guide opening 16 in the central hollow shaft 58. The pins 12 of the right hand set are held by the spring 15 against an expanding cone 80 located within the hollow shaft. Each cone is formed with a reduced flat surface 8012, an intermediate coned surface 892), a high flat surface 890 and a stop flange 89d, the latter also serving to guide the inner end of an operating rod 84. The pins of the left hand set are likewise held against a second expanding cone 82. The end of each pin is formed with a partially beveled and partially flat surface 83 to facilitate movement over the cones and as a register on flat surfaces thereof.

Extending through the sleeves 59 and 58 and out beyond the stanchion l is the long rod 84. On the inner end of this rod are fixed the cones 80 and 82 spaced apart by a sleeve 35. A stop collar 88 is fixed at a midway point on the interior of the sleeve 58 to arrest the movement of the rod in either direction as the cones move the drum from fully collapsed to fully expanded position.

The outer or extreme right hand end of the rod 84 is fastened to a clevis 96 which is pivotally connected to a crank 92 mounted on a shaft 93, rotatable in brackets 94 secured to the outer surface of the stanchion I. To the shaft 93 is attached the hand lever 95 having a detent 9'6 which will engage notches cut in a sector plate 98 mounted on the stanchion l By the movement of the lever 95 the operator may move the several shoes 70 to vary the circumference of the drum through the operation of the cones 8i) and 82. In Figs. 1, 9, and 18 the drum is shown in its fully collapsed position to receive the fabric ply. In Fig. 19 the lever 95 has been moved to its midway position with the drum partially expanded for the bead setting operation. In Fig. 20 the lever 95 has been moved to its lowermost position and the drum is fully expanded.

In the majority of the views the machine is shown as set for making a tire of the minimum cross-section for a given bead diameter. To adapt the machine for making larger cross-sections of tires with the same bead diameter, the drum must be widened and such a setting is shown in Fig. 10.

The ends of each shoe are cut away to provide rabbeted seats 99 in which are located short supplemental shoes I00 (see Fig. 12). The underside of these supplemental shoes are formed with parallel wings In] which embrace the rib 1 I. Set screws I02 are passed through the wings IUI and through the slots I03 in the ribs to hold the supplemental shoes 100 in their adjusted positions.

(b) The fixed auxiliary drum The auxiliary drum 46 is a cylinder I05 having a radial supporting web I06 near the central drum which is slidable on the sleeve 58 and splined thereto as at I08. The other side of the drum is provided with a web III! slidably fitted over the sleeve 50. At the aperture for the sleeve 50 the web H9 is formed with an outwardly extending flange, as at III, which is received in a split collar I I2 which is clamped about the sleeve 50. The arrangement which has just been described fixes the drum 46 in its adjusted position toward and away from the adjacent side of the main drum to permit the Widthwise adjustment of the main drum.

From the inner edge which is adjacent the central or main drum to a point a short distance from its other end, the face of the cylinder I25 is cut away to provide a recess or seat H4 to receive the inflatable bag M5, the wall at the right hand side of this seat being undercut as at I I 6 to receive the edge of the bag. The seat H4 is of sufiicient depth so that when the bag is deflated, as shown for example in Fig. 9, the outer surface thereof coincides with the periphery of the central tire building drum.

At points near the central drum the bag is formed with inlets I I8, shown as three in number, to which are connected the flexible conduits I26 by which air is admitted to and exhausted from the bag. These conduits extend outwardly through holes in the webs I66 and III! and outwardly beyond the stanchion I where they are connected to any suitable valve mechanism (indicated at V in Fig. 31), through which air is exhausted or from which they receive air under pressure from a source which will supply the requisite pressure. The valves are controlled by the electrical connections which will be described. The inlets H8 serve to anchor the bag to the cylinder I 65, the surface of the cylinder being channeled as at II9 to receive the thickened portion of the bag at the several inlets.

The raised portion of the cylinder at the rear of the bag, indicated at I22, serves as a rest for the right bead placing ring when it is in idle position.

(c) The shiftable auxiliary drum The drum 41 is in some respects similar to the drum 46. It has a similar cylinder I23 with a recessed outer face I24 to receive a similar inflatable bag I25 connected to pressure lines I26. It also has the ledge I28 serving as a rest for the left hand bead placing ring.

The drum assembly 41 is carried by the hollow shaft I39 which extends through the inner and outer walls I3I and I 32 of the pivoted tail-stock I6. At the point where the shaft I36 passes through the wall I3I there is welded the reinforcing plate I34 to which is secured the conical reinforcing spider I35 similar to the spider 54.

The cylinder I23 is held on the shaft I30 by the webs I36 and I31, the latter being located on the shaft by the split collar I39. The webs I 36 and I3l may rotate about the shaft I30 for the reasons stated. It will be noted that the drum 4! is not adjustable along the shaft I 5-35,

the variations in the width of the building drum being compensated by an adjustable stop which arrests the inward movement of the drum 4? when the inner edge of the drum makes contact with the edge of the central drum, in whatever position the shoes I00 may be placed.

In the extreme inner end of the tubular shaft I30 is slidably received a block I46 formed with a threaded socket in which is screwed the inner end of a long rod I44 (see Fig. 9). Rod I44 extends to a point beyond the outer wall I32 of the tail-stock where it is threaded into a nut I45 set in the end of the tubular shaft as shown in Fig. 13. A look .nut i 25 holds the rod I44 in its adjusted position. By turning the rod I44, the outer end of which is formed with a squared surface, the rod I44 may be advanced or retracted. This is the means by which the movement of the drum 4'! toward the building drum is arrested to compensate for any increase in the width of the building drum.

In the block I43 is secured by a bolt I48 a sleeve I45 supporting a ball bearing I56. Rotatable in the end of the shaft is an abutment collar I52 having a conical surface I53 adapted to mate with the conical surface in the ring 63 set in the end of the sleeve 58. Tail pieces or keys I54, in the collar I52, are received in slots I55 in the base of the web I36.

As shown in Fig. 9, the drum 45 is in its narrowest adjustment. If the drum is adjusted as shown in Fig. 10, the block I46 will be withdrawn by the rod I44 to a suflicient extent to compensate for the adjustment of shoes H10, so that the shiftable drum 41 will make contact with the edge of the main drum when it is moved to its innermost position. The abutment collar I52 with the splined connection I88 between the drum 46 and the sleeve 58 serves to insure that, if the drum assembly is to be rotated to stagger the splices in the tire, all three drum sections will rotate in unison.

THE TAIL STOCK In order to remove the finished tire from the drum and also to insert the beads in the bead placing rings, the drum 41 is shifted to expose the left side of the main drum. While this might be a straight line movement, it is preferable to swing the shiftable drum out of alignment with the main drum. This is done by mounting the drum 4'! on the pivoted tail-stock. However, in addition to the swinging movement the drum 4'! must first be moved axially to clear the drum 45 before the swinging movement can occur. The tail-stock which carries the drum 4'! is designed so that the axial movement and the swinging movement will be done by fluid operated mechanism actuated by the operator.

The tail-stock III, which carries the shiftable auxiliary drum 41, is a substantially A-shaped element formed of the side walls I 3! and I32 of the configuration shown in Fig. 17, held and braced by a circular housing I 58 surrounding the outer end of shaft I36 and by front and rear inclined webs I66 and lei, respectively. The front web is provided with a foot-piece I62 which rests upon and slides over a supporting plate I64 carried by the upper front edge of the stanchion 8. The web I6! is welded along its lower edge to a cross-plate I65 which is held by two spaced end blocks I56 which are welded to the plate I65 and to the walls I3I and I32, respectively.

The shaft I5 is reduced at its left hand end where it passes through the walls of the lower stanchion 8 and over the reduced portion of the shaft are fitted the two oppositely faced flanged bearing sleeves I68 (Fig. 15). Between the opposed flanged ends of the sleeves I68 and mounted on a journal sleeve I66 is the rotatable cam I which moves the tail-stock toward and from the main drum. The blocks I66 are movable over the sleeves I58 as the tail-stock moves toward and from the central drum and also rock about the sleeves as the tail-stock swings to and from the full line and dotted line positions shown in Fig. 17.

A headed bolt I12 is fixed at a midway point on the plate I65 and carries a cam-roller I14 which fits within a curved cam track I15 out in the face of the cam I10 (see Fig. 13). The configuration of the track I15 is such as to shift the tail-stock along the plate I54 within the limits afforded by the blocks I66.

At another point on the cam I10 is an open notch I18, the walls of which are abrupt as shown in Fig. 16. Across the plates I3II32 and rotatable in bearings I19 is a horizontal shaft I80 and fixed on this shaft, in the plane of the cam I10, is a lever arm I82 having an upturned hook-shaped extremity I83 adapted to ride on the surface of the cam and to interlock with the notch I18. A tension spring I84 from the lever arm I82 to the web IBI holds the hooked end of the lever against the surface of the cam and causes the two to interlock when the notch I18 reaches the hook I83. (See Fig. 170..)

Also fixed to the shaft I80, but spaced therefrom as shown in Fig. 14, is a short arm I85, the purpose of which is to withdraw the hook I83 from the notch I18 when the tail-stock comes to its vertical position with the foot I62 resting on the rail I 64. To actuate the shaft I80 for lifting the hook out of the notch an adjustable set screw I81 is located in a bracket I88 extending inwardly from a wall of the stanchion B. In the position of the parts shown in Fig. 14, the arm I85 is out of register with the set screw I81 because in this view the tail-stock has been moved to its inner limit with the drums 41 and 45 in contact. However, when the tail-stock is shifted to the left to separate the drums 41 and 45, the arm I 85 will be over the set screw.

The longitudinal movement of the tail-stock, as well as its swinging movement is done by rotating the cam I10. For this purpose an arm I90 is welded to a flattened area on the cam I10 and to this arm is pivoted the adjustable link I9! which is connected to a piston movable in a cylinder I 93 pivoted to a bracket I94 at the base of the stanchion. The movement of the piston is controlled by a valve I95 mounted on the front of the stanchion 8 and operated by the hand lever I96. To assist in returning the tail-stock to its upright position, a coil spring I91 is anchored at its lowered end inside the stanchion 8, the upper end of the spring being connected by chain I98 to a stud I99 carried on the front wall I60 of the tail-stock.

In the position of the parts shown in full lines in Figs. 13 to 17, inclusive, the tail-stock is upright and at its extreme right hand position with the drums 41 and 45 in contact. At this time the hook I83 is riding on the surface of the cam I19. A tire having been completed, the operator moves the valve I95 to admit air under pressure to the top of the piston in the cylinder I93. This draws the link I9I downwardly to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 17, rotatin the cam I10, which, through the roller I 14 and slot I15, moves the tail-stock to the left, as shown by the arrow anddotted lines in Fig. 15, separating the drums. When the tail-stock reaches its outward limit of movement, the notch I18 is brought into register with the. hook I83, which now interlocks with the cam, and continued rotation of the cam swings the tail-stock to the rear. Fig. 17a shows the position of the elements at the time when the tail-stock is in its tilted position. It will be noted that as soon as the hook interlocks with the cam rearward longitudinal movement of the tail-stock ceases because the cam and tail-stock thereafter move in unison. At the same time the arm I has moved over the set screw I81.

To restore the tail-stock to upright position and to bring the drums into contact, the valve I is reversed, which raises the link I9I, the first movement being to brin the tail-stock back to upright position, at which time the arm I85 strikes the set screw I81 and releases the hook I83. Continued rotation of the cam now advances the tail-stock to bring the drums in contact.

It will be noted that the travel of the tail-stock is sufiicient to move the drums into contact when the central drum is set at its minimum width as shown in Fig. 9. If the drum is widened as shown in Fig. 10, the abutment I52, which has been adjusted outwardly to compensate for the widening of the drum, will arrest the movement of the tail-stock, the pressure within the cylinder being insufficient to overcome the resistance offered by the abutment as it nests in the collar 63.

THE BEAD PLACING RINGS The bead placing rings on either side of the machine are the same except as facing right and left. Description of the right-hand ring will be sufficient and particular reference is made to Figs. 6 and '1, although the rings show in other views. The right-hand ring 200 is located upon the extension I22 of the drum 45 beyond the bag H5 and the left-hand ring 20I is located on the extension I 28 of the drum 41.

Referring to Fig. 7, the bead placing ring is provided with an undercut, angular recess 203 into which the head is fitted, a shim plate 204 being inserted on its inner face to provide a close fitting seat for the bead. Ring 200 (or 20I) is fixed to a series of arms 205, preferably four in number, which extend rearwardly from the ring and to each of which is articulated the parallelogram linkage 201 pressed inwardly by springs 208. On each parallelogram are mounted two rollers 2l0 which ride over the extension on the drum or the top surface of the bag.

On the end of the drum and staggered with respect to the arms 205 and fastened by screws 2II are lugs M2, the faces of which form stops for the outward movement of the bead placing rings. These studs are provided with spring clips 2 I4 which releasably hold the rings at their position of rest.

The beads are placed in the rings 20!] and 20I while the tail-stock is in tilted position. After the drum is expanded to its intermediate position, shown in Fig. 19, the bead placing rings are moved over the auxiliary drums to set the beads in position as shown in that View. The rings are then returned to idle positions.

THE CAGE AND ITS CARRIAGE The cage, as a whole, is given the reference numeral 220. It is a hollow cylinder of sufficient internal diameter to encompass the drum assembly with a substantial clearanc to allow the bags to function. As shown, the body of the cage is a metal shell 22I made of reticulated structure for lightness and also to afford a firm grip on the fabric and upon the bags. The ends of the shell 

